re: LSU & Night Games prior to this decade

quote:

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This is not LSU complaining about "prime time" games, it's just following tradition.

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This made me chuckle, as it can be read as the tradition is complaining and this "night tradition" narrative is just the new shiny object to complain about this week. In spite of the fact that ESPN/ABC has provided LSU more night games to day games since any time after the 30s.

It has been interesting though, as the dozens of varied stories/myths about the origins and timeline of this tradition have made me intrigued enough to look into it.

Best I can tell, night games started in the 30s when LSU AD wanted to grow the program that was competing with Tulane and Loyola for football fans and coverage. The flood lights allowed night games to happen (I'd also like to see that first set of unis worn in the 1931 game that were designed to almost "glow in the dark"). It also allowed fans to beat the heat and for more blue collar weekend workers to attend games. So, night time in Death Valley was a success in creating less competition for local/regional fan draw and offering a unique, more accommodating game day experience. That's pretty cool.

Also ran across this. Hadn't known the story as to why DV was built on dorms, but I was also not surprised the Governor was involved in circumventing legislature to increase the stadium size. There wasn't approval for stadium expansion, but there was money for dorms. So, dorms were built in a U shape around the stadium and seats just slapped on top of them to meet expansion desires. Classic work around and poor students. Does anyone know anyone that stayed in those dorms, it sounds like it was awful.